Word: midlerisms
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...Hicks and His Hot Licks, "Beatin' the Heat" The comeback album from the '70s legend was one of the year's best surprises, with a batch of tunes almost as catchy, breezy and funny as those of his prime. An all-star cast of guests (Costello, Setzer, Midler) provides some spice, but Hicks sets the table all by himself...
...much more of the earmarks of a comeback. Hicks has revived the name of his old band for the occasion - although for some reason it's Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks rather than His Hot Licks - and the album is studded with guest appearances from Elvis Costello, Bette Midler, Brian Setzer, Ricki Lee Jones and Tom Waits. But worthy though their contributions may be, they are mostly window dressing; Midler's terrific vocal on "Strike It While It's Hot" notwithstanding, nothing here really needs the star wattage to justify it. Hicks has written a batch of tunes...
...Bette Midler...
Every star is eventually forced to attempt a comeback. Elvis had his 1968 comeback special. Burt Reynolds had Boogie Nights. It's inevitable. And now Bette Midler has her TV sitcom and her new album, both entitled Bette. The less said about the show, the better. If anyone can salvage it, Bette Midler can, but she has her work cut out for her. As for the album, you're better off sticking with her past efforts. As I listened to Bette, several songs seemed vaguely familiar, as if I'd heard them in an elevator or a department store...
...wrong, Midler sounds good. She's a diva in every sense of the word. And God knows she looks good on the album cover. Forget the bulk she carried as Brenda in The First Wives Club. But don't expect the raucous ditties that made her a favorite at the San Francisco bathhouses in the '70s. No "Otto Titsling" or "Knights in Black Leather" on this album. And don't hope for the poignancy of the For the Boys soundtrack, either. Well-done covers of "Shining Star" and "Just My Imagination" are the closest Midler comes to the emotional...